A contribution to the development and characterization of rotating-coil magnetometers

The main goal of the thesis is increasing the accuracy and functionality of induction-coil magnetic measurement systems, with particular focus on rotating-coil magnetometers. This can be achieved through a detailed characterization of the main system components, as well as a study of the design principles. A novel approach to a rotating-coil scanner, based on a multi-layer Printed Circuit Board (PCB), is proposed and validated. The high degree of control over the track positioning on the PCB allows improving the coil rotation radius calibration accuracy from 1000 ppm to approximately 100 ppm, critical for local field gradient measurements. On the other hand, the use of the PCB coils allows a significant system complexity reduction, especially considering mechanical tolerances, without sacrificing the measurement accuracy. A survey system and a high-resolution encoder enable measurements of magnetic field orientation and location with regard to the magnet geometry, with accuracy comparable or better than state-of-the-art. The results of the characterization allow a model-based estimation of the measurement trueness, especially important for parameters such as field multipoles. It leads to an optimization of the rotating-coil system design process, enabling both further improvements in the measurement accuracy, as well as new system architectures, not anymore limited to the approach based on the integration triggered by an encoder. The outcome is widening the application range of the rotating-coil scanners.